Annulus.



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PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905. N. D. WILLIAMS.

ANNULUS.

903. RENEWED D30 23. 1904.

PATBNTED JAN.'24, 1905. LJN'. 1). WILLIAMS. r

ANNULUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1903. RENEWED DEC 23. 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, OF OGONTZ,'PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOROBERT W. SCOTT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ANNULUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,850, dated January24, 1905.- Application filed July 24, 1903. Renewed lieeember 23, 1904.Serial No. 238,149.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS N. D. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Ogontz, Pennsylvania, have invented an ImprovedAnnulus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of an annulus, such as is usedin engineering and machine construction-as a shaft collar, ashaft-coupling, a pulley or lever hub, a shaftbearing,or the liketheobject of my invention being to so construct such an annulus that thesame will run truewith-the shaft or will hold the shaft true in itsbearing even though the bore is not the same as the diameter of theshaft. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa'perspective view of an annulus constructed in accordance with myinvention and designed for use as a shaft-coupling. Fig. 2 is an endview of the same, partly in section,

' and illustrating one of the shafts in place therein. Fig. 3 is an endview illustrating another form of annulus made in accordance with myinvention.v Fig. 4 is a'view illustrating the manner in which theannulus may be adapted for coupling two shafts of different diameters,and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the application of my invention to anannulus' intended for a shaft bearing, support, or housing.

An ordinary circular shaft-collar with a.

plain bore if large enough to slip readily over the shaft will not runtrue when the retainingscrew is set up, the tendency being to create twopivot-points, one represented by the point of the set-screw and theother by a point in the bore directly opposite to said set-screw,

and consequently it is necessary in order to secure desirable truth indevices of this class to exercise great care in the boring thereof,constant resort being had to measuring devices for the purpose ofsecuring and maintaining uniform size of bore. My invention obviatesthenecessity of such exactness in manufacture. In fact, I am enabled toproduce an annulus which will run perfectly true with its shaft withoutthe necessity of resorting to boring or other operation requiring eX- 5act measurements.

Referring first to Fig. 1, which represents an annulus constructed inaccordance with my invention and intended for a shaft-coupling,

- 1 represents the annulus,which has at one side threaded openings 2,intended for the recep tion of set-screws, these openings beingcountersunk, as at 3, for the reception of the heads of the screws. Onthe opposite side of the bore of the annulus are two inwardly-projectingribs 1, located, by preference, about ninety degrees apart, the distancebetween the inner face of each of these ribs and the opposite face ofthe bore being slightly greater than the diameter of the shaft to whichthe annulus is 5 to be applied-that is to say, the bore of the annulusis of sufficientl y greater diameter than the shaft to permit-saidannulus to be readily slipped over the shaft. For instance, if said.shaft is two inches in diameter the distance 7 between the inner face ofeach rib and a point in the bore diametrically opposite the same may beabout two and one-sixteenth inches.

The inner faces of the ribs may be trued up by a single cut of the toolin a slotting or shaping machine or by successive cuts of a tool ortools carried by a rotating and advancing boring-bar, and the annuluscan then be placed upon a mandrel of the exact size of the shaft uponwhich it is ultimately to be secured, 30 the annulus-being secured tothe mandrel by means of one or more set-screws similar to those wherebyit will be secured to its shaft or shafts, the head of each set-screwbeing contained in its respective countersunk recess 5 3 and being belowthe line of the finished periphery. The annulus is now turned and bothends faced, if necessary. Consequently it must run true with themandrel, and hence. must run with equal truth with the shaft or 9 shaftsto which it is ultimately applied. The ribs 4 4 being separated fromeach other and located within the limits of one-half of thecircumference of the bore of the annulus must act in the same manneras aV-block to properly center a shaft bearing upon them. Hence pressureimparted to the other side of the shaft and tending to force it towardsaid ribs as, for instance, pressure exerted by the setscrew 2, forminga third and adjustable point of contact for the shaft, or by a pair ofdiagonally-disposed screws used as a substitute for or in addition tothe single central screw will render it impossible for either annulus orshaft to rock upon the bearing points. Hence there is no liability ofthe set screw or screws working loose.

The annulus, if short, can be used as a shaft collar or hearing; butwhen used as a shaftcoupling it possesses many advantages not possessedby a coupling bored to size in the ordinary way. In the first place,where the shafts meet it is necessary that they should be so coupled asto be in perfect alinement, and unless the bore of the coupling is anabsolute fit such proper alinement is impossible and even where a goodfit is secured the bur formed upon the shaft by the tightening of theset-screw prevents the removal of the coupling. If, on the other hand,the bore is large enough to readily slip over the ends of the shafts,the clamping will be effected at two points only, as before explained,and under these conditions the periphery of the coupling cannot be trueand the ends of the shaft cannot be in true alinement.

A coupling-annulus constructed in accordance with my invention will holdupon the shafts quite as securely as, if not better than, a coupling ofthe compression type, and by resorting to the fixed andlaterally-separated bearing-points and to pressure devices tending toforce the shaft onto the same the truth of the bearing is at all timesand under all conditions positively maintained without the necessity ofa close fit between the bore of the coupling and the periphery of theshaft.

Hence burs formed upon said periphery cannot interfere with the readyremoval of the coupling.

Another advantage of a coupling of this character is that either of thecoupled lengths of shafting may be uncoupled by simply removing theretaining screws from that end of the annulus, the released end of theshaft being then free from contact with the coupling,

and in this way many advantages of a clutchcan be secured.

In Fig. 3 I have shown an annulus constructed in accordance with myinvention and in which instead of forming inwardly-pro' jecting ribs 4:in the bore I recess the latter, as shown at 4, on the side oppositethat which receives the clamp-screw, thus providing two separated pointsof bearing 4", which serve the same purpose as the inwardly-projectingribs 4. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) In this case also the set-screw 2instead of acting directly upon the shaft acts upon a key 5, seatedpartly in a groove in the shaft and partly in a groove in the annulusand serving to lock the two together for joint rotation. A suitablewedge-key might, if desired, be used in place of a set-screw to securethe annulus upon the shaft.

Fig. 4 illustrates an annulus constructed in accordance with myinvention and used as a reduction-coupling-that is to say, as a couplingfor shafts of different diameters. in this case the shaft of largerdiameter rests upon the inner faces of the ribs 4, which arecentrally'recessed for the reception of pins or short sections of rod 6,having their axes parallel with the axis of the annulus, these rodsproviding the desired separated points of support for the shaft ofsmaller diameter.

In Fig. 6 I have shown an annulus which is secured to or forms part ofthe frame 7 of a machine, and consequently provides a bearing for thereception and support of a rod or shaft 8, the same advantages ofconstruction and use applying to a fixed bearing of this character as toan annulus intended to be socured to and rotate with a shaft.

In all cases two of the points of contact for the shaft should be fixed,and the adjustable means for imparting pressure to the shaft should beso disposed as to press the shaft onto said fixed points of contact, andthe latter should also be disposed within one-hal f of the circumferenceof the shaft, for in that case the shaft will properly seat itself uponthese points of bearing whether the latter are or are not bored true,whereas if the points of bearing comprise more than one-half of thecircumference of the shaft true boring is as essential as though theannulus fitted the shaft throughout its entire circumference.

The essential features of my invention being as thus described, it willbe evident that the invention can, without departing from its spirit, beembodied in many other forms of device than those which I have selectedfor illustration.

Havingthus described my invention, claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. An annulus having a bore of suiliciently greater diameter thanthat of the shaft to which it is applied to permit the annulus to bereadily slipped over the shaft, and having three separated points ofcontact for said shaft, two of said points of contact being integrallyfixed and the third being adjustable and bearing upon the shaft at apoint intermediate the fixed points of contact so as to press the shaftupon the said fixed contactpoints, substantially as specified.

2. An annulus having a bore of suiiiciently greater diameter than thatof the shaft to which it is applied to permit the annulus to be readilyslipped over the shaft, and having three separated points of contact forsaid shaft, two of said points of contact being fixed and located withinless than one half of the circumference of the shaft, and the thirdpoint of contact being adjustable and bearing upon the shaft at a pointintermediate the fixed points of contact so as to press the shaft ITOupon the said fixed contact-points, substanhalf of the shaft so as tocause the latter to seat itself upon said fixed contact-points,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub- 5 scribing Witnesses.

LOUIS N. D.'WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

WHALIAM BUOKLEY, LORETTO- A. CoR TTo;

